The fate of the Warhammer 40,000 MMO has been revealed: It's no longer a Warhammer 40,000 MMO. THQ has announced Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium has been "refocused" as a single-player action game with multiplayer elements, a change that brings with it substantial layoffs at developers Vigil Games and Relic Entertainment.

Originally thought canceled due to financial troubles at THQ, the publisher assured fans that the massively multiplayer game was still in development, though the exact nature of that development was left up in the air. In any case, it didn't seem like the company was in any shape to maintain a big budget MMO game.

Over the weekend, a giant rumour popped up claiming that major publisher THQ was effectively done…
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And they weren't. In a press release issued today Brian Farrell, president and CEO of THQ, revealed game-changing plans for the project.

"As previously announced, we have been actively looking for a business partner for the game as an MMO. However, based on changing market dynamics and the additional investment required to complete the game as an MMO, we believe the right direction for us is to shift the title from an MMO to a premium experience with single and multiplayer gameplay, robust digital content and community features."

Disappointing, to say the least.

Even more disappointing is the downsizing at Vigil Games and Relic Entertainment that comes as a result of this decision, the two internal THQ studios losing 79 and 39 full-time employees respectively.

While countless MMO fans just lost faith in THQ, THQ still believes in Warhammer 40,000: Dark Millennium.

"Because we believe strongly in the high-quality and vast creative work that is in production, this is the right decision for both our portfolio and for gamers devoted to this powerful property."